From the Principal

I am thankful ….. How about you?
Here I sit on the final day of Term 1 for our students, surrounded by a good number of tasks demanding attention, wondering how the past ten weeks slipped by so quickly. I must affirm the hard-working staff who are creating opportunities in and beyond the classroom for students to shine and explore their talents. Examples of this range from a record 17 Senior School teams committing to the Kokoda Challenge this year, to students competing in the ‘Language Perfect’ competition in the past fortnight where we gained 1st place in Queensland in German in the 550+ students category (from 46 schools competing) and 16th place in Japanese (from a whopping 330 teams competing), to scores of Junior Schoolers excitedly preparing to present ‘The Lion King Jr’ in September.
The very best part of my day is walking into classes. The variety of coursework and depth of inquiry, as an educational leader, gives me joy and deep satisfaction for my vocation. When “our” important is sometimes encroached by someone else’s insistence of “urgent”, it is easy to become distracted or even disoriented. And here we are again, amidst the maelstrom of matters related to COVID-19 (and rightly so to be concerned), though it too provides an opportunity to be mindful and thankful of that which has deep worth – growth and learning, relationships with family and friends, and one’s faith.
Happy Easter to all St Andrews families. Easter is my favourite Christian season. Well beyond the sorrow of Good Friday, it is a time to be uplifted by a Redeemer who came to us and remains with us as the ultimate source of Hope, Love, Peace and Joy. Easter is my “special” time when I lay the things that burden me at the foot of the Cross and rejoice in a loving relationship with a living God. I hope and pray that your family has an opportunity to find time and space for thanksgiving this weekend.

Term 2 beckons…..
Peace and Grace
David Bliss
Principal